The present invention relates to bowling balls and, in particular, indicia on the surface of bowling balls and methods for manufacturing a bowling ball with such indicia.
Bowling balls have been in existence for many years. While, generally speaking, all that is necessary for a bowling ball is to have an outer layer, and, usually a core and eventually thumb and finger holes, many manufacturers and sellers of bowling balls wish to have one or more visual indicia on the outer surface of the outer cover or “veneer” of the bowling ball. The visual indicia can include a variety of things, but very commonly includes the name and/or logo of the brand or model of bowling ball.
Current or previous methods of providing indicia on bowling balls include forming the complete ball, then engraving or etching a portion of the surface of the ball and filling in the engraved or etched portion with a different colored substance than the surface of the ball. The filled indicia is a series of narrow lines. The filler is most often a different substance than the outer layer of the ball, potentially causing weight distribution problems, cracking or breaking away of the filler, non-flush surfaces, and/or changes in the contact friction with the lane surface while the ball is rolling. Also, if a mistake is made in etching, the entire ball may be wasted. The process of filling in an etched or engraved area may also trap air between the filler and engraved portion, potentially causing problems when the ball is used.
Another method of providing indicia on the surface of the ball is to provide a “window” of clear or colored transparent material with a flat screen print beneath the window substance. A person could thus see through the transparent portion, which extends to the surface of the ball, to the flat, screen printed indicia beneath. However, the window is typically not the same substance as that used in the outer layer of the ball. Such a window ball typically has weight distribution issues due to the creation of a flat surface on a portion of the core to which the screen print is attached. Also, such a method provides a bowling ball that is too brittle and unstable to meet typical durability requirements and is usually used for visual appearance and display only. Also, if additional indicia were desired, the ball would normally include the engraving discussed above, adding even more steps and expense to the manufacture of the ball.
Another method uses a simple locator pin that is visible on the outer surface of the ball. Such a pin may or may not be adjacent to or touch the core, but it is small and simply-shaped, and designed only to convey the position of the core in the ball as a point of reference for drilling.
These methods require additional steps to the steps required to manufacture the ball, which may include etching and filling in the etching or cavity, drilling, cutting off a portion of the core, attaching multiple pieces to the core or outer layer of the ball, and then re-sanding or re-grinding the bowling ball. These methods also create playability and durability issues for the bowling ball.
Accordingly, a method that does not require all of these steps would be preferable so that a cost-effective bowling ball could be easily made having indicia on its surface, while maintaining appropriate weight distribution of the ball. Additionally, the method would create a bowling ball having indicia with broad lines and solid colored areas, if desired.